W.C. Russian tortoise & parasites & cost to treat??

[fern+fl0ra]

Wild caught Russian tortoises are notorious for carrying Adenovirus and Herpes Virus. I would NEVER bring a wild caught old world tortoise into my collection EVER! These are the reasons to always buy captive bred animals from a reputable breeder. Do your due diligence and find the right breeder and skip Pet Smart and all the aggravation that goes with it. There are multitudes of threads on this subject of unhappy purchases made.

Hi! Quick question for ya! I'm thinking of adopting a WC adult male Russian from a local rescue. I don't have any other tortoises that he would be able to infect if he was a carrier of parasites or viruses. Have you ever had a WC tortoise or know of someone who would know a good estimate of what extra expenses there would be to care for one that was infected?

 

[RosemaryDW]

@fern+fl0ra, you have bumped a really old thread!

It would be better to start a new thread of your own in the Russian section.

Also, welcome to the forum!

 

[fern+fl0ra]

@fern+fl0ra, you have bumped a really old thread!

It would be better to start a new thread of your own in the Russian section.

Also, welcome to the forum!

Thank you!

 

[Yvonne G]

I've moved it to stand alone.

Each vet charges different prices for the same procedures. It shouldn't be too costly to de-worm, though. And yes, when he poops out the parasite eggs, if there are other tortoises in the same yard, they would eat that grass and become infected.

 

[fern+fl0ra]

I've moved it to stand alone.

Each vet charges different prices for the same procedures. It shouldn't be too costly to de-worm, though. And yes, when he poops out the parasite eggs, if there are other tortoises in the same yard, they would eat that grass and become infected.

Thanks, Yvonne! I don't have one yet and will only keep one at a time anyway. All hypothetical at this point, just educating myself on it!

 

[RosemaryDW]

Drats, there is a great post in here somewhere about the costs and risks of purchasing a wild caught vs. from a breeder.

I did find this one in our general section: http://www.tortoiseforum.org/thread...rospective-or-beginner-tortoise-owners.22635/. It includes general advice on selecting a healthy tortoise and has some info on what is typical in wild caught Russians, namely parasites.

Basically, a visit to a reputable herp vet for a check of a fecal sample is adequate, if you are bringing in a single tortoise to your home.

ETA, ha, Yvonne already posted the same.

I believe our wellness check with fecal and meds probably ran around $125? We live in an area with a very high cost of living, ymmv.

 

[fern+fl0ra]

Drats, there is a great post in here somewhere about the costs and risks of purchasing a wild caught vs. from a breeder.

I did find this one in our general section: http://www.tortoiseforum.org/thread...rospective-or-beginner-tortoise-owners.22635/. It includes general advice on selecting a healthy tortoise and has some info on what is typical in wild caught Russians, namely parasites.

Basically, a visit to a reputable herp vet for a check of a fecal sample is adequate, if you are bringing in a single tortoise to your home.

ETA, ha, Yvonne already posted the same.

I believe our wellness check with fecal and meds probably ran around $125? We live in an area with a very high cost of living, ymmv.

Thank you!!